Generodeus http://generodeus.com Solution Driven Digital Marketing, Branding & Design Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:41:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 They’ll Know You’ve Arrived Promotional App Concept http://generodeus.com/theyll-know-youve-arrived-promotional-app-concept/ http://generodeus.com/theyll-know-youve-arrived-promotional-app-concept/#comments Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:08:55 +0000 Jonathan Schlackman http://generodeus.com/?p=236

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]]> http://generodeus.com/theyll-know-youve-arrived-promotional-app-concept/feed/ 0 This Is How I Want to Think About My Business http://generodeus.com/this-is-how-i-want-to-think-about-my-business/ http://generodeus.com/this-is-how-i-want-to-think-about-my-business/#comments Sun, 13 May 2012 18:09:10 +0000 Jonathan Schlackman http://generodeus.com/?p=231 An amazing post by Jim Connolly about doing work that matters as opposed to making it all just about money. I thought it so inspiring, I linked to it below:

Steve Jobs, Seth Godin and The Secret Of Their Success!

And here’s the wonderful follow up to the article above as well

 

Please feel free to leave me feedback or to Jim directly. thanks.

ENJOY!

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]]> http://generodeus.com/this-is-how-i-want-to-think-about-my-business/feed/ 0 Package Design & Branding Before & After http://generodeus.com/package-design-branding-before-after/ http://generodeus.com/package-design-branding-before-after/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 16:59:50 +0000 Jonathan Schlackman http://generodeus.com/?p=215 A Cameron Advertising package rebranding for the medical industry. The client had many many separate considerations they required on each package. The challenge was to address those concerns while developing a cohesive look. Creative Director Trevor Williamslead the team on the product.

Package Branding Design After

Before

Package Branding Design Before

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]]> http://generodeus.com/package-design-branding-before-after/feed/ 0 Color Psychology in Branding http://generodeus.com/color-psychology-in-branding/ http://generodeus.com/color-psychology-in-branding/#comments Sun, 06 May 2012 14:18:05 +0000 Jonathan Schlackman http://generodeus.com/?p=204 The psychology of colors in branding

What is your color?

What color(s) are you?

I recently posted a blog declaring how every business and individual is now a brand. I also posted an article on how anyone can promote their brand via social media on less than a shoe-string budget.

I even went a step further and created a short video on some of the aspects to consider when creating your branded identity.

So continuing in that vein, her is an interactive Prezi presentation detailing the psychological associations of different colors and recommendations on best practices for using them. Enjoy!

What color(s) do you use to brand your business or self and why? I’d love to hear your story.

The Psychology of Color in Branding

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]]> http://generodeus.com/color-psychology-in-branding/feed/ 0 Mind Mapping a Social Media Campaign (infographic) http://generodeus.com/mind-mapping-a-social-media-campaign-infographic/ http://generodeus.com/mind-mapping-a-social-media-campaign-infographic/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 11:27:13 +0000 Jonathan Schlackman http://generodeus.com/?p=198 This is a social media mind map I created using the Cacoo Chrome app for a custom product website. Basically it shows how original content, curated content, pictures, and videos get pushed out to various social sites like flickr, linkedin, facebook, twitter, pinterest, etc., and then funnels users back to a lead capture page or directly to the website for conversions. This kind of marketing is sometimes referred to as AIDA (awareness interest desire action). I’ll get more into how AIDA works in a future post.

I hope you find this infographic helpful. Please let me know your thoughts and opinions. Enjoy!

An infographic made in Cacoo showing a social media campaign plan

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]]> http://generodeus.com/mind-mapping-a-social-media-campaign-infographic/feed/ 0 Innovating to Survive in B2B Marketing http://generodeus.com/innovating-to-survive-in-b2b-marketing/ http://generodeus.com/innovating-to-survive-in-b2b-marketing/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:54:58 +0000 Jonathan Schlackman http://generodeus.com/?p=182 Social Media Marketing in B2B

Innovation in Social Media will propel B2B Marketing in the Future

Back in the 90s when I worked in pharmaceutical marketing, there was resistance by agencies (at that time) to employ marketing strategies on doctors similar to the tactics proven successful with the general public. I used to ask, “aren’t doctors consumers like everyone else? ” The answer I always got was “No.” Of course times have changed (or adapted if you like).

Nowadays, in B2B advertising there seems to be a similar attitude when it comes to using  social media as a marketing tool.

In many B2B circles there is a pervasive belief that in order to market to business, one needs to rely more on passive methods (the “one to many” as Brian Solis puts it) best found traditional advertising methods. I often say now, “Aren’t businesses made up of people, and aren’t those people engaging with social media?”

Aren’t some of the same technics used to market to consumers also relevant for businesses marketing to businesses?

Is a print ad in a trade journal going to be more effective than a Pinterest board? Is hiring a third party sales force going door-to-door with brochures always going to result in more conversions than a Facebook campaign or micro site?

While early adopters of B2B social media marketing are having success (and failure), they are mapping the new terrain. They are, in fact, innovating to survive. Can the modern business really afford to become a late adopter of social media tactics after they become fully vetted,  becoming standard practices?

At that point will the company still be relevant? What do you think?

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]]> http://generodeus.com/innovating-to-survive-in-b2b-marketing/feed/ 0 Static vs Dynamic Inbound Content http://generodeus.com/static-vs-dynamic-inbound-content/ http://generodeus.com/static-vs-dynamic-inbound-content/#comments Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:34:00 +0000 Jonathan Schlackman http://generodeus.com/?p=174 it’s not just about content, it’s about content that leads to more content.

The other day I was waiting for some Chinese takeout, and glancing down on the table near I saw a newspaper. It was one of those free papers that had a couple of human interest stories padded with advertisements. I hadn’t seen one of these in a long time. It was thinner than I remember.

The content wasn’t very compelling either. Nor were the ads done by any sort of “legitimate” agency. I perused the paper about a minute before turning my attention back to my smart phone. Offering content as a marketing tool is certainly nothing new. All TV and radio programming (before cable) could be considered marketing of this type. But “static” content (content that starts and ends with itself), simply cannot hold attention now that people have become accustomed to dynamic content that leads to more content. And that can only be found online.
I was speaking with an older friend of mine recently who said he believed print was going to make a comeback. “Not like it was before” he said, “but businesses will go back to it when they find out social media isn’t the marketing silver bullet they think it is.”
One fault I found with his statement was he assumed if businesses didn’t achieve marketing success online, they would turn back to print as a solution. But the reason companies and individuals became so hot and heavy to market themselves online in the first place is because that’s where their customers were!

If a magazine ad gets printed in the woods, and no one is there to read it…

I knew another guy who was approached to sell ad space for a new magazine for  high society in the Hamptons on Long Island. It was to be available at restaurants, shopping centers diners, etc. Free of course. It was going to be a classy publication, and they were looking to target advertisers with high-end products and services.
He went to several car dealerships in the area, then a restaurants– expensive ones, and pitched them to buy space in the magazine. No one was interested. Each and every business told him they no longer spent money on print advertising. One Rolls Royce dealership said every once in awhile they offered a magazine an ad to place (when asked to), but refused to pay for the space. It was an eye-opening experience for him.
We now live in an a world where each person can shape their own content experience. And they can instantly with any of the content via comments or sharing. I can’t imagine how something static (like a free newspaper or magazine) is going to be able to compete with that kind of personal freedom. Particularly when you can carry that freedom in your pocket and access it any time.
What are your thoughts?

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]]> http://generodeus.com/static-vs-dynamic-inbound-content/feed/ 0 Introduction to Personal Branding (Video) http://generodeus.com/introduction-to-personal-branding-video/ http://generodeus.com/introduction-to-personal-branding-video/#comments Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:02:43 +0000 Jonathan Schlackman http://generodeus.com/?p=155 Getting Started with your Personal Brand.

“Brands are either part of the conversation or they’re not and as a result, they’re either part of the decision-making cycle or they’re absent from the heart, mind, and actions of the connected customer.”

– Brian Solis from The End of Business As Usual

Is this thought exclusive to products? If so, aren’t you a product?

You are the face you show the world. Or maybe not. Still, when looking for a job, finding the right college, positioning yourself as a thought-leader in your field, or just beefing up your online presence, personal branding is key.

With potential employers, admissions and other interested parties (interested in you!) turning to social media like Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin to find out more about you than your resume can provide, creating and internet marketing of your personal brand is now necessary  to remain relevant.

Who is your audience? What is the color(s) of your brand? What font expresses you? These are just some of the questions to consider when creating your personal brand.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

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]]> http://generodeus.com/introduction-to-personal-branding-video/feed/ 0 The Three Wheel Marketing Agency http://generodeus.com/the-three-wheel-agency/ http://generodeus.com/the-three-wheel-agency/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:22:32 +0000 Jonathan Schlackman http://generodeus.com/?p=136 If the modern ad agency were to be described as a car,  the car wheels would consist of:

  • Branding

  • Above the line marketing

  • Below the line promotions

  • Social media/SEO

An agency who’s wheels are well designed, properly balanced and built from high-grade materials, will possess a vehicle which can move quickly, handle smoothly, and be cost-efficient.

Today, however, too many agencies not only have wheels which are not calibrated as strong as they could be, but even worse, many are actually trying to drive with only three wheels!

Before we get into the what and why of that, let’s take a quick overview of the function of each wheel.

Wheel One: Branding
Branding is the overall face of a company or product which they show to the world. It’s their identity, and as such must always be considered, employed and respected when crafting campaigns (the other three wheels).

Any quality agency should have the ability to create effective branding for their clients, be able to build on a current brand, or design campaigns that complement the brand.

Wheel Two: Above-the-Line Marketing
Above-the-line marketing consists of the advertising you find in traditional (and some online) media channels. This includes:

  • Magazine and newspaper ads
  • TV spots
  • Radio
  • Brochures
  • Direct mail
  • In-store displays
  • Billboards
  • PPC advertising

You get the general idea. You can hardly go out into the world without being bombarded with this kind of content. Often the material is designed to make you feel that owning a product or using a service will make your life better.

Wheel Three: Below-the-Line Promotions
Below-the-line marketing can be disseminated via traditional channels or the Web and includes:

  • Coupons
  • Rebates
  • Discounts
  • Sweepstakes
  • Contests
  • Buy one, get one free
  • Buddy referrals
Below-the-line strategies are usually offered for a limited time, and are usually targeted on fear of loss. The fear of not getting something is often stronger than the reward of getting it. You can certainly imagine how below-the line marketing can be pretty effective.Wheel Four: Social Media/SEO
I choose to include social media and SEO together because to me they are often two sides of the same coin when it comes to digital marketing. SEO without interesting content is very results limited, and vice versa. Social media/SEO marketing includes:
  • Blogging
  • Inbound content creation
  • Keyword strategy
  • Engagement
  • Back linking
  • Monitoring analytics
  • Site funneling

And here is where we start to deal with the what and the why. While ALL agencies (and their clients) are certainly aware of social media and SEO, too many are:

  • Dismissive of their power to create leads and conversions
  • Fuzzy on how it all actually works, so they tend to underutilize them
  • Are afraid to ask “What is SEO” or What is “Internet Marketing” so stay in the dark
  • Using them wrong

Now while the first two are unfortunate, the last one can actually be annoying. Many agencies use social media purely as another means to advertise. They don’t attempt to engage or provide interesting content. They are the “old guard” of advertisers who only understand the act of marketing as a passive activity where a message gets pushed out and the audience absorbs it.

The idea that the audience can respond back, help form the message, or even decide what the message will be is totally foreign to them. For these agencies, Web 2.0 exists, but it’s probably just a fad, and it’s just another avenue to put a sign on.

After all, marketing is marketing, a headline is a headline, and it’s all about being clever. Anyway, we’re the professionals and our job can never be co-opted by the very people we’re hawking product to.

Funny thing is, there is still a place for a good sell sheet or brochure in marketing, and there are times when it’s cool to post an old-school brand pitch on Twitter. But times they have-a-change-ed.

Essentially, these agencies are attempting to drive around on three wheels. I often say to a friend in the biz that these guys are eventually gonna run out of guys like themselves to pitch to.If you were a company who needed an agency to help drive your brand, would you step into a car with three wheels, or a car with four?

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]]> http://generodeus.com/the-three-wheel-agency/feed/ 2 Is Your Agency Style Don Draper’s or Darrin Stephen’s? http://generodeus.com/is-your-agency-style-don-drapers-or-darrin-stephens/ http://generodeus.com/is-your-agency-style-don-drapers-or-darrin-stephens/#comments Sun, 15 Apr 2012 17:25:11 +0000 Jonathan Schlackman http://generodeus.com/?p=114 Agency life is about survival. It takes a lot to be in our culture. And agency culture sometimes forgets that, although they’re in the business of growing brands, they are a brand as well. So what’s the face your agency shows the world? No Budget, or large budget aside, your brand is your attitude, professionalism, and sense of style.

Here we have two fictional icons of the advertising biz, Don Draper and Darrin Stephens (who are both from the same era coincidentally) . Each has their particular style as to how they interact with their clients. Which is your style?

Don Draper and Darrin Stephens Agency Style

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